Usual rules for this final part.
Shipwrecked
Chapter 6
Rescue and Retribution
They could see the ship quite clearly but still a long way off. Once the fire was burning well Seb looked at it and realised the wood had been there so long it was very dry and created very little smoke.
"Pile some greenery on guys, make lots of smoke."
Job done Seb then made them all get a big palm leaf and start fanning intermittently so that someone at sea would notice the fire was manned.
The ship kept coming, the boys kept fanning the blaze.
She anchored clear of the reef and sent in two ships boats. Matt was the first one to jump ashore and was almost suffocated by the six boys hugging him and dancing him round the beach, all crying buckets of tears for joy.
Greetings over and one of the officers approached the group.
"Who is Seb Corner?"
Seb stepped forward, "I am Sir."
The officer looked him up and down in his naked state before signalling two of his crew. They cuffed him and the officer said.
"Charges of assault, forcing homosexual acts on school boys and forced labour have been filed against you and will be heard in a duly appointed court."
Seb was shattered but quickly got his brain working.
"Jason, go and pick up the journals and our other records. Protect them with your life. You others go and get clothes and anything else you want to take with you from the island. I'd like to be released long enough to dress please Sir. I am hardly likely to run away am I?"
The officer realised how silly he had been to cuff Seb and blushing told his crew to release him.
Ray stepped forward then and said, "I am Ray Stevens, I am one of the teachers that was with these boys when we were shipwrecked. Could you tell me how many of them survived from the rafts?"
The officer replied, "All 21 of them."
"And what sort of state were they in when they were rescued?"
The officer laughed.
"They all looked as if they had just turned out for sport from some fancy school. Not bad after fifteen months and a sea journey on makeshift rafts."
"So let me get this straight, Seb Corner, who kept all of us alive and fit for over a year on this island, made certain that the highest degree of our skills was used in making the rafts that survived God knows how many days at sea with the loss of no one. Stayed behind and looked after us other five for a further three months. Kept us fit and active and free of depression is to be arraigned as a criminal."
The officer looked from Seb to Ray and back, blushed and said, "That appears to be the case. The charges have all been laid by someone called Robbie Matlock."
Ray snorted, "That little shit should be horsewhipped. Before we leave the island I would like you to come with me, all your crew as well."
Ray set off up the beach and gave the officer and his crew a conducted tour of the village showing him all the facilities that Seb had made them build. The toilets, bathing area, the foot ball pitch. The village had the visitors eyes out on organ stops.
"Seb corner instigated all this, tried to run it democratically but had to take back control when Matlock allowed anarchy to take over costing the life of one of the boys. He should be arraigned for manslaughter and Seb Corner should get a medal."
The officer was more than a little surprised and looked at Seb differently.
"Sorry Seb, I only had Matlock's side of the story."
"I would like you all to remember this in case we need you to speak up for Seb in court. I doubt you will because I imagine Matlock will have no support from anyone else."
With that Ray went to collect his and Ian's meagre possessions.
Jason was clutching the journals and the reams of paper that laid down the laws they had enacted including the penal code.
"Please Sir, have you a waterproof bag we can put these in. It is a record of our time on the island and all our laws enacted to keep our community whole."
Jason was still naked and quite obviously being lusted after by several of the crew. He looked absolutely stunning and when Seb realised how beautiful he looked against the newcomers he took all the material he carried and told Jason to go and get dressed.
Six very happy young men manned the rescue boats to be returned to civilisation.
Seb's nightmare started as soon as they landed in Sydney, he was again cuffed and taken into custody. The other boys were all together and being detained by the prosecution and defence to testify at his trial.
Freedom for Seb was a prison cell and he very quickly fell into a deep depression. His suicide attempt came one month after their rescue. When the other boys heard they mounted a demonstration outside the prison and Ray organised a worldwide protest at his continued incarceration. Parts of his journal were published and within days the Australian authorities were convinced life would be easier if Seb were free because they were besieged by the world press demanding justice for Seb. All of the boy's parents arrived from England and Robbie's parents realised how out of step with the majority their son was. Despite an enormous amount of pressure from them none of the other boys would back him.
The trial started under the eyes of the world with Seb already painted as a hero who had saved the lives of twenty six others, including a teacher. Robbie was vilified as a weak, jealous loser, unable to accept the dominance of another male. It dragged on with the defence calling all of the other boys. To a man they praised Seb for his fortitude and strength of character in holding them all together for more than a year. Jason won the hearts and minds of the world with his testimony and his obvious love and respect for Seb.
Ray, who had remained subservient to Seb during their period marooned on the island became a solid spokesman for Seb's amazing leadership. Photographs of the boys taken as they were being rescued were shown to the court.
"How did you all manage to look so smart after nearly eighteen months as castaways?"
The judge asked the question that many others had wondered about.
"Seb realised that our clothes would rot off our backs very quickly in the humid, hot climate that we were living in, so, he made us go naked for a period every day to get our tan going and build our resistance to sun burn. After the great storm everything was wet and muddy so we just naturally went naked to protect our clothes. By the time we thought about them again we decided not to bother, so for the remainder of our time we went naked protecting our clothes for the day we were rescued. They were even wrapped on the rafts so that they would look smart when the boys were rescued. All at Seb's behest."
"You were a Master, Mr. Stephens, so why did a student take charge and remain in charge?"
Ray blushed a little but answered the judges question in the same strong, self assured voice that he had used since being rescued and resuming his position as a staff member.
"Seb Corner, from the moment we landed on the island took charge and showed himself to be a natural and poweful leader. I doubt he would have bowed to my authority even if I had felt it necessary to try to exert it, which I never did your honour."
Parts of Seb's journal were read out and very quickly attracted the interest of publishers throughout the world.
After weeks of testimony Seb was acquitted and Robbie was castigated. He committed suicide successfully before the others all flew home. By the time they had all been psychoanalysed, to make sure they had not suffered from their ordeal, done talk shows on TV, interviews for their local radio stations and all the other things that the world desired of such interesting subjects the boys all returned to school to complete their education.
Members of staff found it difficult to accept Ray Stevens popularity and twenty six students calling him by his first name.
"I would feel so stupid asking you guys to call me Sir again after what we went through together, besides which I am sure I owe you, Seb, my life. I will love you like a brother for the remainder of it."
That was Ray's comment to the group at a training session for the swim team. The rugby team and wrestlers all trained occasionally with Ray as a means of keeping the castaways together.
Seb picked up a multi million pound publishing contract for his journal which became an international best seller.
For Seb the money meant his own apartment which he shared with Jason and new cars for every member of the group. Job offers, even before he had gone to university made his head spin. He never needed to work if he didn't want to and of course that applied to Jason.
The school were amazed that this world famous macho jock who had ruled an island with a fist of iron was gay but no one dared cast aspersions on his character or that of the other gay guys. Wayne was disowned by his parents but managed to get leave to remain in England after going through the civil ceremony with Alex and becoming his legal partner. Seb and Jason, Ray and Ian went through the ceremony at the same time.
There were loads of wonderful incidents that stemmed from public knowledge of that and very few nasty ones. The boys were the best known teenagers in the country and possibly the world with almost their entire peer group envying them their incredible adventure.
Seb went on to university to read management and finance and at the age of 29 with an unblemished employment record in leadership at all levels was appointed Managing Director of a medium sized international finance house. Jason followed Seb to university and studied interior design. The stunningly beautiful sixteen year old had grown into a stunningly handsome young man whose designs mirrored his image winning him many prestigious awards. He and Seb took a vow of monogamy to one another after the civil ceremony joined them like husband and wife.
"I will love you for the remainder of my life little man and never want to experience another body in my bed that isn't yours."
"And I will love and honour you for the remainder of mine," with a cheeky grin on his face Jason added, "Now will you take me to bed and prove how much you love me?"
I would love to hear what you thought of this story. I wouldn't post it for ages because I thought there was too little sex in it.
If it's raunch and eroticism, happiness and tragedy, love and hate, I have an eBook published at $8, just let me know and I will arrange a copy for you.
Chris Johns at home in Antigua